| Dinton | |
|---|---|
 Dinton from the south | |
  Dinton Location withinBuckinghamshire | |
| Population | 809 (2011 Census)(civil parish)[1] |
| OS grid reference | SP7610 |
| Civil parish |
|
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Buckinghamshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| |
Dinton is a village inBuckinghamshire, England, within theBuckinghamshire Councilunitary authority area. It is in the south of theAylesbury Vale on the ancientturnpike leading fromAylesbury toThame (although this road has since been diverted away from the village). It is within thecivil parish of Dinton with Ford and Upton. The village name isAnglo Saxon in origin, and means 'Dunna's estate'. In theDomesday Book of 1086 it was listed asDanitone.
There was an ancientmansion house in thisparish that belonged to the Mayne family for many years (they werelords of the manor in 1086). This has long since disappeared, but the groundworks of the ancientmanor house still remain and are a goldmine ofarchaeological finds. There is also a ruined mock-fortified building,Dinton Castle also known as Dinton Folly, though this was constructed much later (in 1769) by Sir John Vanhattem. This octagonalfolly or "sham castle" is a Grade II listed building.[3]
A BBC article stated that the building was beside a Saxon burial ground. Another source indicates that over the past centuries, and into the 20th century, various artifacts and skeletons had been found near the structure. That report also states that there are 14 other listed buildings nearby, including Dinton Hall.[4] A full restoration of the "castle" was completed in 2018.[5]
The 12th-century parish church of Saints Peter and Paul is a grade I listed building.[6] John Harrison was the vicar here and his only childHenrietta Tindal (c.1817-1879) was a noted poet and writer.[7] There is a memorial to theRoyal Navy navigation expertHenry Raper in the church.
Next to the church is Dinton Hall; this fine many-gabled mansion altered at various periods during its long history, was until the last quarter of the 20th century the seat of the Currie family and is now owned by the Vanbergen family. Following the Curries' departure it was bought by a Mr. Smith. He carried out a programme of restoration, and placed his owncoat of arms above the mansion's portals. Since 2004 the mansion is owned by the Vanbergen family, and they have restored the mansion and brought in new facilities.
A notable resident of Dinton in the seventeenth century wasJohn Biggs, the Dinton Hermit, who lived in a cave in the village. He was involved in theexecution ofKing Charles I on 30 January 1649 and was reputed to have been the actual executioner.[8] As one of the regicides,Simon Mayne, lived at Dinton, and was after his death in imprisonment buried at Dinton in 1661, it is possible that the executioner would have been given sanctuary and anonymity on one of the regicide's estates.
Within the parish border lay thehamlets ofWestlington,Ford,Upton,Waldridge,Gibraltar andAston Mullins.
There was also anciently a hamlet calledMoreton in this parish, though today only the groundworks and ponds remain. This hamlet was wiped out sometime in the sixteenth century. The name mort / ton (death (fr) / town) could suggest that this settlement might have been wiped out and then subsequently abandoned after the inhabitants succumbed to theBlack Death, but the usual derivation of the common name 'Moreton' is "town or settlement by a fen".[9]
Cuddington and Dinton Church of England School is a mixedChurch of Englandprimary school. It is avoluntary aided school that has been formed from the merger of Cuddington and Dinton schools. It takes children from the age of four through to the age of eleven. The school now has just over one hundred pupils.
Dinton is home to DintonCricket club, who have three senior teams playing in theHome Counties Premier Cricket League and Cherwell League, as well as junior age group teams from under 9s to under 17s. Dinton CC[10] also compete in the NationalVillage Cup, reaching the semi-final stage in 2013 and 2014.
